Effects of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on the Wear Resistance and Mechanical Properties of AISI H13 Hot-Work Tool Steel

In this study, a number of wear and tensile tests were performed to elucidate the effects of deep cryogenic treatment on the wear behavior and mechanical properties (hardness and tensile strength) of AISI H13 tool steel. In accordance with this purpose, three different heat treatments (conventional heat treatment (CHT), deep cryogenic treatment (DCT), and deep cryogenic treatment and tempering (DCTT)) were applied to tool steel samples. DCT and DCTT samples were held in nitrogen gas at −145 °C for 24 h. Wear tests were conducted on a dry pin-on-disk device using two loads of 60 and 80 N, two sliding velocities of 0.8 and 1 m/s, and a wear distance of 1000 m. All test results showed that DCT improved the adhesive wear resistance and mechanical properties of AISI H13 steel. The formation of small-sized and uniformly distributed carbide particles and the transformation of retained austenite to martensite played an important role in the improvements in the wear resistance and mechanical properties. After cleavage fracture, the surfaces of all samples were characterized by the cracking of primary carbides, while the DCT and DCTT samples displayed microvoid formation by decohesion of the fine carbides precipitated during the cryo-tempering process.